Clarksville, Ark. --- The University of the Ozarks' Theatre Department will present Neil Simon's classic play Lost in Yonkers at 7:30 p.m., April 16 and 17, in the Walton Fine Arts Center on the U of O campus.
Lost in Yonkers is the first annual Cecil and Ruth Boddie Farmer Endowed Theatre Production. The endowment was established in 2008 by the Farmer’s children, Mrs. Heber Farmer McKissack and Dr. Patrick A. Farmer.
Lost in Yonkers, winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award, is set in Yonkers, N.Y. in 1942. Teenagers Jay and Arty have been left with their domineering grandmother for nine months. A stern Jewish taskmaster who emigrated from Germany, Grandma teaches the boys independence and responsibility, and they, in turn, help her discover the nature of love.
The cast features two Clarksville teenagers as Jay and Arty. Weston Allen Kemp, 15, a sophomore at Clarksville High School and the son of Kim and Phillip Oberste, plays Jay. Grey Mullins, 13, a home schooled student and the son of Robert and Kim Mullins, plays Arty. Both boys have been active in the university-sponsored Stages for Youth Professional Training Company.
Other cast members include U of O students Martin Morales as Eddie, Kalea Bennett as Bella, Grace Anne Harnish as Grandma, Andrew C. Heim as Louie and Daniella Cheri Stover as Gert.
The production team includes Professor Pat Farmer as director, Professor Bruce B. Brown as scenic designer and technical director, Erin Fuller-Hagar as costume designer, Jenava Moreau as light designer, Brigitte Belle Bridoux as graphic designer, Joshua Ryan Tarvin as sound designer and Phillip T. Perez as stage manager.
Tickets for the play are $8 for general admission and $6 for senior citizens. The box office opens at 6:45 p.m. each night and no tickets will be issued after 7:20 p.m.
Topics: Theatre